Swiss Maybe Not So Neutral Memo Suggests Bankers Moved Nazi Assets To Argentina

Swiss bankers and businessmen may have used diplomatic pouches to smuggle Nazi assets into Argentina during World War II, including $20 million belonging to Nazi war criminal Hermann Goering, a 1946 memo says.

The long memo to the State Department was found in the National Archives and made public Wednesday by Sen. Alfonse D’Amato, R-N.Y.

The memo suggested that Swiss merchants conspired with the Nazis to funnel their fortunes into South America. It said the Swiss government was probably unaware of these alliances.

“Accusations have also been voiced that Nazi German capital is escaping in Swiss diplomatic pouches,” the memo said. It did criticize the Swiss government’s “practice of entrusting diplomatic missions to its bankers and businessmen traveling to the Western Hemisphere.”

D’Amato has pressed for more action to locate Holocaust victims’ Swiss bank accounts. But there was no indication that money transferred in the pouches belonged to Holocaust victims.

Diplomatic pouches from neutral countries such as Switzerland were routinely passed without inspection in other nations during the war. Goering and Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels would first ship money into Geneva via German diplomatic pouches, the memo said.

“It is reported that Reichmarshal Goering lately used this method to transfer personal funds,” the memo said. “According to these reports, Goering previously sent more than $20 million of his personal fortune to Argentina.”

Argentina was a haven for fugitive Nazis after World War II.

Goering, commander of the German air force, committed suicide in prison in October 1946 just before he was to be hanged for war crimes.

The Dec. 16, 1946, memo was apparently relayed to the State Department from Austria by American Consul General Laurence G. Frank. A cover letter was dated Jan. 20, 1947.

Swiss banks are already cooperating in an effort to uncover money hidden in Swiss accounts that may have belonged to Nazis’ victims. The World Jewish Congress has alleged that up to $7 billion belonging to Jews killed by the Nazis remained in Swiss banks. The banks say about $32 million remains in accounts dormant since World War II.